Royal Automobile Club Charity Cup

IMG wins golf challenge

Woodcote Park, 29 April 2014: High profile names from the worlds of motorsport and media turned out on Tuesday at the Royal Automobile Club’s Woodcote Park for the third annual Charity Cup competition, supported once again by Sky Sports HD. In a good-natured but keenly contested match, sports and media management company IMG lifted the cup. The group’s long experience of organising both golf professionals and events must have taught them a lot about the game, helping them score 94 points over the second place Nicky Grist Motorsport team (87 points) with News International Team a close third on 87 points.

Many well-known personalities swapped a gear stick or a microphone for a nine iron. As a former ‘Golf Night’ presenter, Sky TV’s Di Dougherty proved she could play the game as well as talk about it by winning the Nearest the Pin award, while GT racer Ollie Millroy secured the Longest Drive prize. Many bottles of champagne were awarded on the 13th Beat the Pro challenge hole, including one to former F1 World Champion Damon Hill.

‘We’re delighted to win,’ grinned James Dale ‎of IMG. ‘It’s been an amazing day. 2014 marks the first year that IMG Motor Sport has promoted the FIA World Rallycross Championship, so it’s only fitting that we entered our first team into the Royal Automobile Club’s Charity Golf Cup. And it supports two very worthy charities.’

David Main, Chief Executive of one of those charities; BEN, was very thankful for the support. ‘We’re incredibly grateful to the Royal Automobile Club for hosting this event, he said. ‘The money raised will give tremendous help to thousands of people that work in the automotive industry as well as their families.’

‘It was great to see such a diversity of teams supporting the event,’ said guest of honour and former motorcycle and F1 World Champion John Surtees OBE presenting the trophies. ‘Competition for second and third place was close, but it’s all been in great spirit.’ The day concluded with a raffle to raise money for the chosen charities; the Henry Surtees Foundation and BEN the UK’s only charity for those who work, or have worked, in the automotive and related industries, as well as their dependents. Surtees presented the winning team with the Charity Cup as well as awards for Nearest-the-Pin and the Longest Drive, both awards kindly donated by Sky Sports HD.

Tom Purves, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club commented, ‘Our third Charity Cup was another great success, many well-known names from motoring and motor sports took part plus, more importantly, we raised money for two charities, BEN and the Henry Surtees Foundation. We are particularly indebted to John Surtees for the work he does on the event and also to Sky Sports HD for their continued support.’